Loose leaf binder mounting



July 16, l1940. A R, RU$sE| 2,208,231

LOOSE LEAF BINDER MOUNTING Filed may 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 77S .lf-. 5. MME .4f/4 ff LE -2- v July 16, 194o.

A. R, RUSSELL LOOSE LEAF BINDER MOUNTING Filed May 22. l

z Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /2 BY /7//22947 zlsseZZ.

A ORNE Y Patented July 16, 1940 STES PATENT OFFICE Alfred R. Russell, Detroit, Mich., assis-nor to The Burkhardt Company, a corporation of Michizal) Application May 22, 1939, Serial'No. 274,884

2l Claims.

'I'his invention relates to loose leaf binders and in particular to means for mounting loose leaf binder metals in portfolios and the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide means for fioatingly mounting hinged angle back loose leaf binder metals in portfolios or on other objects in such a manner as to permit the angle back loose leaf binder metal to be manipulated freely and completely without interference from thel portfolio or other object into or onto which the said angle back loose leaf binder metal may be secured or mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for mounting an angle back loose leaf binder metal within a portfolio or the like in such a manner as to permit the said loose leaf binder metal to be manually raised to and supported in an operating position spaced from the said portfolio or the like on the said mounting means 2@ whereby to permit free' operation of the loose leaf binder metal without interference from the portfolio and to admit of the sheets impaled in the said angle back loose leaf binder metal laying flat on both sides of the said portfolio when the said loose leaf binder metal and the portfolio are both opened and placed flat on a desk or the like.

Other objects of the invention will become ap parent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view part in cross section and part in end elevation showing a portfolio havingan angle back prong loose leaf binder metal floatingly mounted therein in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inside plan view of the portfolio disclosed in Fig. l positioned open on its back showing the angle back loose leaf binder metal closed and oatingly mounted within and along'the back of the portfolio.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 showing the angle back loose leaf binder metal fioatingly mounted withf slot provided in the ends of the mounting cradle employed.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing how the angle back loose leaf binder metal is floatingly mounted in the cradle means employed.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View showing a preferred form of locking device of the angle back prong binder metal in a closed position and the angle back prong binder metal float- 10 ingly mounted in the cradle mounting therefor.

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective showing the angle back prong binder metal in a closed position retained in a portfolio by the floating mounting means employed. 45

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective showing an angie back prong binder metal iloatingly mounted in accordance with the invention in a portfolio, the said binder metal being shown in a fully opened position raised to and supported in the floating 26 mounting means employed with the filler sheets therein disposed substantially parallel to the portfolio which is also shown in its fully opened position.

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 5 25 showing an alternate construction of the cradle ends which may be substituted for the construction shown in the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like 30' numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the embodiment of the invention disclosed therein comprises a hinged angle back loose leaf binder metal generally designated by the numeral i0 iioatingly 35 anchored and mounted as hereinafter described in detail in a cradle I I which is preferably secured to a mounting strip I2 by the rivets I3, the said mounting strip I2 being secured by such means as the stitching I4 to a portfolio |5 or the like.

In the illustrative structure shown in the draw- 1 ings, the portfolio I5 is preferably formed of an integral top, bottom and back casing of leather or other suitable material having com-` paratively flexible gussets |5| sewed around the periphery thereof, the edges of the said gussets being provided with slide fastener means |52 adapted to be interlocked by a slide |53. The Said mounting strip l2 may be extended to the 50 side of the casing |50 as indicated by the numeral |20 in Figs. 1, 4, 8 and 9 whereby to provide a pocket within the said portfolio I5.

The angle back loose leaf binder metal I0 comprises two metal anglesZ and 2| hinged together 55 along the center of the back of the binder metal around a hinge pin 22. The upstanding legs of theangles 20 and 2| are provided with end pieces 23 and 24 preferably formed integral with the angle 20 and end pieces 25 and 26 preferably formed integral with the angle 2|.

'Ihe end pieces 23 and 25 and the end pieces 24 and 26 cooperate with each other to form end closures for the angle back loose leaf binder metal I0. The said pairs of end piecesalso serve as stl'ening and guide means for maintaining the upstanding legs of the angle back binder metal I0 in their normal position with respect to each other. The end closure comprising end pieces 24 and 26 is straddled by a locking lever. as hereinafter described, the said locking lever being preferably pivotally mounted on the end piece 26.

In the particular embodiment of the angle hack loose leaf binder metal I0 disclosed in the drawings, arcuate left hand half round leaf impaling prongs 21 and arcuate right hand half round leaf impaling prongs 28 are preferably secured by riveting oi' welding to the upstanding legs of the angles 20 and 2| in oppositely disposed and staggered relationship with respect to each other in such a manner to permit opposed arcuate leaf impaling prongs to cooperate with each other and form a segment of a ring when the ang'ie back of the loose leaf binder metal Il] is partially or fully closed, the extreme or outside prongs of the binder being preferably opposite hand. When the extreme prongs of the binder are opposite hand and positioned in oppositely facing directions, the punched filler sheets 29 impaled in the said binder metal I0 are more readily and surely guided and maintained in stacked relationship during the use of the said binder metal l0 when the said binder metal I0 is in its closed, partially opened and opened positions.

The upstanding leg of each angle 20 and 2| of the angle back loose leaf binder metal I0 is preferably provided with a rolled edge 38 to prevent the filler sheets 29 from being damaged by a sharp edge which would otherwise be presented.

The angle back loose leaf binder metal generally designated by the numeral I0 throughout the drawings may be provided with any suitable locking device for locking the said angles 28 and` 2| of the said angle back metal I0 in a closed or partially opened position. 'Ihe applicant prefers a locking device similar toY the locking mechanism disclosed and claimed in the application for patent of Stanley G. Johnson, Serial No. 62,885 filed February 8, 1936, which issued into Patent No, 2,110,366 entitled Loose Leaf Binder on March 8, 1938.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 4 and '1, the said locking device comprises a locking lever 34 having a locking finger 35, an operating key 36 and an inverted U-shaped central portion 31 through which a rivet 38 is positioned for securlng the said locking lever 34 in pivotal relationship to the end piece 26 of the angle 2|. The said U-shaped central portion 31 of the said locking lever 34 bridges over or straddles the end piece 26 in such a manner that a spring 39 coiled around the rivet 38 maintains the locking finger of the said locking lever 34 in suflicient spaced relationship to the end piece 26 as to permit the end piece 24 of the said angle 20 to rotate between the said locking finger 35 and the end piece 26 when the binder is being opened and closed. The said spring 39 coiled around the rivet 38 has one end thereof retained in a fixed position against the hinge ieg of the angle 2| between an inwardly disposed tab 40 struck up from the said hinge leg of the angle 2| and the end piece 26 thereof, while the other end of the said spring 39 constantly urges the locking lever 34 to rotate towards its locked position by means of constant pressure exerted by the said spring 39 against the bottom of the generally horizontally disposed operating key 36 oi the said locking lever 34. A suitably disposed ratchet type detent 4| secured to the angle 20 or the end piece 24 thereof is engaged by the locking finger 35 as the binder metal l0 is closed from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 8. When closing the binder metal I0 the locking finger of the locking lever 34 acts as a pawl or click riding over the ratchet type detent 4|. Obviously, any number of ratchet teeth may be used in the detent 4| in order to provide a like number of partially opened positions of the binder metal I0.

The cradle is formed U-shaped with the ends IIB thereof bent upwardly at 90 degrees from the base thereof. The said cradle ends H0 are each provided with a generally vertically disposed slot 42 therein having the upper end thereof suitably curved at 43 to provide a seat 44 and a retaining tab 45 for supporting the angle back loose leaf binder metal Ill upwardly from the base of the cradle on a pair of headed hinge pins 46 extending from the hinge rolls of the angles 20 and 2| of the said angle back loose leaf binder metal |0 as best shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 9, the hinge pin 22 of the hinged angle back metal I0 having been cut short as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 to accommodate the headed pins 46 in the space normally occupied thereby. A Washer 41 is preferably interposed between each of the end pieces 23 and 24 and the cradle end H0 adjacent thereto to prevent the angle back loose leaf binder metal I0 from longitudinal movement with the said cradle Il.

When a portfolio l5 having a loose leaf binder metal I8 fioatingly mounted therein in accordance with the invention is opened and placed fiat on a desk or the like, the loose leaf binder metal I0 takes the position indicated in Fig. 8. The loose leaf binder metal l0 may be lifted to the position indicated in Fig. 9 whereupon it is pivotally supported on its longitudinal axis on the headed hinge pins 46 extending from the said loose leaf binder metal l0 which are guided to and come to rest on the seats 44 of the cradle ends lll) by the lifting of the said loose leaf binder metal Il) along the slots 42 in the said cradle ends H0.

It has been found that the floating mounting means disclosed herein admits of a full and free manipulation of the loose leaf binder metal I0 without interference from the cradle or the portfolio I5V or the like to which the said cradle is secured. Also, the supporting of the said loose leaf binder metal l0 by its headed hinge pins 46 on the seats 44 of the cradle ends M0 permits a free manipulation of the loose leaf binder metal I0 on its longitudinal axis through a radius of greater than 180 degrees, the tabs 45 providing means for retaining the said loose leaf binder metal l0 in its supported position on the seats 44 of thesaid cradle ends H0 until manually lifted therefrom.

The slots in the cradle ends H0 may be found in various ways to accomplish like and similar results. For example, in Fig. 10 the cradle end H00 is provided with a vertically disposed slot 420 curved at 430 to provide seats 440 either of aaoaasi which will support the loose leaf binder metal I8 on its extended headed hinge pin 46. The tabs tt formed adjacent the seats Il provide means for retaining` the said loose leaf binder metal l in its supported position on the seats Il of the cradle ends MM until manuallylifted therefrom. However, the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive is preferred inasmuch as the mere lifting of the loose leaf binder metal ld with respect to the cradle it automatically places the headed hinge pinsdii thereof on the seats M of the cradle ends ll d, thus providing extreme ease in manipulationvof the hinged angle back hinder metal it with respect to the heating mounting means employed.

Although not shown, it is obvious that the short headed hinge pins t6 need not he employed inasmuch as the hinge pin 23 of the angle back binder metal l@ may be made long enough to project through the apertures t2 or d20 in the ends titi or im@ ofsthe cradle il, however, the headed hinge pins td are preferred because oi their giving the construction disclosed a finished appearance.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has heen disclosed and described in detail, it will he understood that various changes including the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the parts thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. and it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention other than by the terms of the appended-claims.

I claim: v

l. In combination, a portfolio and a hinged angle cir loose leaf hinder metal, a cradle secured in said portfolio having upturned ends disposed normal and in spaced relationship to the said hinged angle back, each cradle end having a generally vertically disposed slot therethrough, a seat formed in each cradle end by extending the said slot therethrough laterally and downwardly from the top of said slot, and means extending from said binder metal disposed through the said slots whereby to anchor the said binder metal in the said.portfolio, the said anchorage meansserving to support the said binder metal in elevated position on the said seats formed in the cradle ends when the said portfolio is opened'and the binder metal is lifted to said seats.

2. In combination, a portfolio and a hinged angle back loose leaf binder metal, a cradle secured in said portfolio having upturned ends disposed normal and in spaced relationship to the said hinged angle bach, each cradle end having a generally vertically disposed slot therethrough, a seat formed in each cradle end by curving the said slot therethrough laterally and. downwardly from the top of said slot, the hinge pin of the said angle back loose leaf hinder metal being extended and positioned through the said slots in said cradle ends whereby to anchor the said binder metal in the said portfolio and admit of supporting the said binder metal in elevated position in the said cradle on the said seats formed in the said cradle ends when the portfolio is opened and the binder metal islifted with respect thereto.

, R. RUSSEL. 

